Waffle House is an iconic part of everyday life in the South. The restaurant chain was founded in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia, and has over 1,900 locations spread across 25 states. The interior of each restaurant is familiar, with 1960s-era globe lights hanging from the ceiling and red leather-upholstered booths appearing in many locations. But what’s outside the windows is different for each store.
Micah Cash started photographing what he calls “Waffle House Vistas” in 2018. His series of images taken from inside different Waffle Houses, looking out, became a popular book published by the Bitter Southerner, and now it’s a museum exhibition. The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will present “Waffle House Vistas,” an exhibition of several of Cash’s photographs plus a newly commissioned time-based work on the same topic, from August 24, 2024, through June 1, 2025.
The natural landscapes beyond the windowpanes are as diverse as the perspectives and stories of each guest. Yet the similarities of the restaurants’ interiors echo across states and time zones. These familiar, well-worn interiors make us think about what we have in common, and the differences of the outside environment call to mind our different experiences.
Cash said, “At its best, Waffle House creates a sense of belonging unlike most other places. Waffle House does not care how much you are worth, what you look like, where you are from, what your political beliefs are, or where you’ve been so long as you respect the unwritten rules of Waffle House: Be kind, be respectful, and don’t overstay when others are waiting for a table. Besides, everyone who has ever stepped foot in a Waffle House has a story to tell.”
Related events include:
• A smartphone photography workshop on August 24 from 2 to 4 p.m., led by teaching artist Kristen Bach (email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to register)
• The museum’s fall open house on September 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Family Day, door prizes and curator-led tours (register at https://bit.ly/open-house-fall24)
• A talk by artist Micah Cash on September 26 at 5:30 p.m.
• Student Night on September 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., a back-to-school celebration featuring the museum’s fall special exhibitions, free waffles from Waffle House and hands-on activities; hosted by the Georgia Museum of Art Student Association with generous support from the UGA Parents Leadership Council (register at https://bit.ly/waffle-house-party)
Student Night is generously sponsored by the UGA Parents Leadership Council. All programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
Authored by:
Hillary Brown
